I’m so sorry about the comments some of you made that sat in moderation until just now. I was having so very much spam that I turned something on such that comments only appeared after a previously approved comment, otherwise they sat in the purgatory of moderation. And, since I’ve been on a computer diet, I’ve not even checked the queue. So sorry you were in limbo.
Jamie was mostly out of bed today; Ellen and I headed into the village to make purchases and boy, I really like this town. The other day I took the girls to check out the regional hospital in Cocula and make purchases. Cocula is about 18 km down the road and I figured that if I needed to rush Jamie there for some reason or another, I’d like to know where it was before I needed to. Besides, I needed to kill some time to allow the boys to use the computer and give all of them a break from the noise and energy of the girls.
I liked Cocula, better I should say that I liked the plaza, I liked the colonial buildings and I LOVED the prices I got. I drove INTO the ice factory to fill the rafones up with water. You’d think the ice factory, being a factory and all, would be on the outskirts of town, but you’d be wrong. You’d probably drive all over the outskirts of town, looking high and low for the damn factory because it Just Makes Sense that it would be OUTSIDE teeny tiny, impossible to pass a vehicle narrow colonial streets, because that would be logical. Logic, however, rarely rules in Mexico. The ice factory was just off the main plaza. They must have teeny toy trucks haul the ice out to the bigger streets where the normal sized trucks wait; banished by the itsy bitsy colonial streets. So, we drove INTO the factory and loaded up and inched our way back out. Purified water, our primary objective, purchased, I was now on the lookout for a fruteria and a panaderia. It would be nice to find a freakin cremeria somewhere in this godforsaken country, but I can count on one hand (and I wouldn’t need ANY fingers) the cremerias I’ve found OPEN. I’ve found MANY closed cremerias but one single solitary open cremeria.
I stumbled upon a couple fruterias; honestly, I should have simply tried to find the mercado but I was actually hoping for a supermarket, lazybones that I am, but none of them called to me. Unfortunately they were the only game in town, on the two streets I drove, so while the locals watched the whale of a gringo car circle their town, I headed to the only one I could reasonably park at. The girls picked our ciruelas and platanos (bananas) and carrots but the only mangoes were my 2nd favorite kind. We’ve become so incredibly spoiled here that the manila (I think they are called in the US) mango is our 2nd pick and the Ataulfo is our only consideration for mango. I could find none of the Ataulfos but only the manila (or Hayes?) and grudgingly bought a couple. They were so rich and lovely and a very nice second to the buttery ataulfo that I actually bought a couple today (after finding some of our favorites) so we’re awash in mangoes once again. We’re going to have such a terrible time when we cross the border and loose our mango supplies, but I console myself with the thought of berries. Actually, Iruapan (? I think that’s the town, just south of Leon) is quite the strawberry capital, so we might be trading our mangoes for berries. What a boring essay this has been on freakin mangoes. At any rate, (it must be terrible to be bored as a reader, but when you, the writer, bore yourself with your writing, you know it is truly bad) we made our purchases and headed back to Villa Corona, boring story over. I’m sure it had a point, way back there in the beginning, and it probably would have been such a cute and charming story, complete with some facet of Mexican life you’ve never suspected, but honestly, I’ve about bored my brain numb with the talk of mangoes and if I force myself to continue the dreadful story of our purchaes that day, I just might have to shoot myself. And that would be messy. So I won’t.
So tomorrow, hoping that Jamie is well enough to drive (he is convinced he has only a sinue infection and Ellen and I purchased some amoxicillin for him today) we’ll head to Leon and Gunajuato and very slowly, glacially, perhaps, we’ll make our way northwards to Tejas. Ellen and I had a lovely time at the mercado and walking around tiny Villa Corona today, but at the risk of getting stuck again on mangoes or bread or yogurt, I’ll stop with that.
So, aren’t you glad I’m blogging again? MANGOES!!!! HA!
9 responses so far ↓
1 gordfromborder // Jun 19, 2006 at 9:22 pm
Think….mango Margaritas! Such great redeaming qualities, no matter which one is used. Nothing could be finer……Thanks for the insight on the types. Up here in semi perpetual winter…ok, we get a couple of crummy sledding months each summer, we enjoy whatever mangos that show up at “Super Store”.
Glad to see you bogging again. Your rambling is entertaining and folksy and easy to relate to. Hopefully it gives you an opportunity for a little sanity check. There is nothing worse than a guy when he is sick. I have no idea how my wife puts up with me when any sort of ailment, ache or paine inflicts my body. She, of course, like all good mothers and wives endures anything short of an amputation or chid birth with nary a whimper.
Hopefully, the world that reads your blogs is there for you. Sort of like Frazier Crane ” go ahead Seattle, I’m listening”, sort of the same only different.
Gord
2 vicki // Jun 19, 2006 at 10:53 pm
I’m glad you’re back, too.
I’m still trying to convince my husband of spending a winter in Mexico, so it’s great following your stories…edumacatin’ myself a bit, I am.
3 DeeDee // Jun 20, 2006 at 12:02 am
So glad to see you posting again. My life was getting boring without your family. Mangos are one of my favorite fruit, so no, mango mannering is NOT boring. Do you like the little yellow ones or the bigger greener ones? Our favorites are the little yellow ones. I do not know the difference in name.
Yeah, you do get spoiled with all the fresh fruit and bread. Hay, sounds like you got breakfast…mangos with yogurt and Bread. Got coffee and there is breakfast!!
Hope Jamie gets better soon.
4 Dr. Chrissy // Jun 20, 2006 at 3:34 am
THANKS for posting again. That was a close call. I’ve just looked at the photos you’ve posted and I am SO impressed with your photography skills - amazing composition and depth of field selection. I almost registered with Fliker so I could comment on specific shots, but I hate giving out my email so I didn’t register. But I wanted to send a big WOW your way for the pics. Keep it up. And pls keep up the postings - mangos, whatever. We’re just glad to hear your voice again. Love, C
5 Ta-ta's sigo // Jun 20, 2006 at 7:42 am
Of course, we’re glad you’re back blogging! And for the gift of another day to enjoy them.
AND, on the topic of my favorite fruit: MANGOES!!!!
Who could ask for more?
love, dad
PS> Who could ask for more? I don’t get those who feel life is a vale of tears (or some such). Even before my cancer I came to appreciate what an absolute miracle each day is. (I guess I better stop before I try to create my own blog here…
6 Working Gringos // Jun 20, 2006 at 10:37 pm
Yay! Mango mattering matters! do go on! I have recently discovered that I too am mad for Ataulfo’s! Nothing comes close!
I think we in Mexico have as many different kinds of mangoes as supposedly Eskimos have names for snow (sort of a mixed comparison but you get the idea). It’s snowing mangoes lately…Baby, it’s gold outside! Ha!
But I digress…
glad you’re back…we missed you!
7 Ta-ta's sigo // Jun 21, 2006 at 5:35 am
Yo Working Gringos. You’re not smoking mangoes are you?
best, paul
8 jody2ms // Jun 22, 2006 at 1:44 pm
Oh! Yeah, you are back!
And yes, you do inspire us….to believe that, all you have to do is look out into our driveway. A driveway that we once could park in, but now is inhabited by 34 feet of pure, Ameri-camp 5er in all its big-ass glory.
Now I am hungry for mangos.
Oh, and would that Tejas to the north mean a Lone Star border crossing?
9 Mamahops // Jun 24, 2006 at 10:37 am
Gord: Wow. I never thought of mango margaritas; I usually dump some Reposado in a sippy cup (nothing like staring at Dora the Explorer whilst getting drunk :)) and squeeze some limon juice in and wala. Instant nirvana. I wonder what I could do with mangoes and tequila…
Thank you Vicki; Mexico is heaven in winter. there is so much to fall in love with down here.
Thank you DeeDee. I LOVE the little yellow ones; once they get almost orange, they are absolutely superb! Breakfast is incredible down here; from the myriad of tropical fruit to yogurt that has no comparison in the US (it is hands down, The Creamiest Yogurt in North America) to the organic Chiapas coffee, and pan dulce…I could go on and on and on.
Jamie is finally so very much better.
Wow, Chrissy, that means a lot coming from you. You have an incredible photographers eye. I sent you a gmail invite and you can sign up with gmail and use that email addy for Flickr. I’d LOVE for you to have a Flickr account so I can see all YOUR incredible pictures.
Dad, I’ve got to find a way to get these to you. We completely missed mango season somehow; we must have been in the highlands when it hit. Getting mangoes right off the tree is an experience not to be missed. Though, you might have already had it in the Phillipines.
WG: You know, I think you’re right. No snow (well, except for Chichuaua oh, forget it) but mangoes to go insane with!
Jody, you’re right; we’ll probably be crossing in the same point as last year; Del Rio. Do I hear rumblings of a rally?
And thank you so much for your very kind words.
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